Described herein are embodiments of a mobile device case that allows a mobile device camera to view and/or capture images from multiple fields of view. The case may allow the mobile device camera to simultaneously capture image information from multiple different directions relative to the camera or mobile device. The fields of view may not be contiguous fields of view, such that there is a gap or other discontinuity between the fields of view. One field of view may be a field visible from or facing a surface of the mobile device on which the camera is disposed (e.g., the back of the mobile device) and another field of view may be one visible from or facing a different surface of the mobile device. Also described are embodiments of techniques for configuring a mobile device to capture and/or process images from multiple fields of view.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A case for a mobile device having a camera, the case comprising: a housing having a shape fitted at least in part to a shape of at least a portion of an exterior of the mobile device and arranged to receive and hold the at least the portion of the mobile device, the housing comprising: a back surface, the back surface corresponding to a surface of the mobile device on which the camera is disposed; at least one top surface; a first opening on the back surface; a second opening on at least a first one of the at least one top surface; and at least one optical element; wherein the housing is arranged such that when at least the portion of the mobile device is disposed in the housing: at least a first one of the at least one optical element conveys light between the second opening and the camera, light received by the camera at a time via the first opening defines a first field of view of the camera at the time and light received by the camera at the time via the second opening defines a second field of view of the camera at the time, and the first field of view and the second field of view are noncontiguous.
2. The case of claim 1 , wherein a direction of the first field of view from the camera is more than 45 degrees away from a direction of the second field of view from the camera.
3. The case of claim 1 , wherein the first opening allows light to reach a first portion of the camera at the time and the first optical element conveys light from the second opening to a second portion of the camera at the time, the second portion of the camera being different from the first portion of the camera.
4. The case of claim 3 , wherein the second portion of the camera is a smaller portion than the first portion.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.
6. The case of claim 1 , wherein the first optical element comprises a mirror arranged to deflect light from the second opening to the camera.
7. The case of claim 1 , wherein the first optical element comprises a prism arranged to deflect light from the second opening to the camera.
8. The case of claim 1 , further comprising: a third opening on the at least one top surface; and at least one second optical element to convey light between a light source of the mobile device and the third opening, when at least the portion of the mobile device is disposed in the housing.
9. The case of claim 8 , wherein the at least one second optical element generates an aimer light pattern projected through the third opening.
10. The case of claim 9 , wherein the at least one second optical element is arranged to redirect and/or reshape light received from the light source of the mobile device to generate the aimer light pattern.
11. The case of claim 10 , wherein the at least one second optical element comprises at least one lens and/or at least one prism to redirect and/or reshape the light received from the light source.
12. The case of claim 10 , wherein the at least one second optical element comprises a pentaprism.
13. The case of claim 10 , wherein the at least one second optical element comprises one or more reflective surfaces.
14. The case of claim 10 , wherein the at least one second optical element comprises one or more anti-reflective surfaces.
15. The case of claim 10 , wherein the at least one second optical element comprises a prism having a first surface with a reflective coating and a second surface with an anti-reflective coating.
16. The case of claim 9 , wherein the at least one second optical element comprises one or more filters to generate the aimer light pattern of a color.
17. The case of claim 8 , wherein: the case further comprises a fourth opening on the back surface, the fourth opening being arranged such that a first portion of light emitted by the light source at a time passes through the fourth opening without passing through the at least one second optical element; and the at least one second optical element conveys a second portion of the light emitted by the light source at the time passes through the at least one second optical element to the third opening.
18. The case of claim 1 , wherein: the first field of view is a field of view in a downward direction visible from or facing the back surface; and the second field of view is a field of view in a forward direction visible from or facing the at least one top surface.
19. A system comprising: the case of claim 1 ; and a mobile device at least partially disposed in the case such that at the time light reaches the camera of the mobile device from both the first opening and the second opening.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
June 30, 2020
December 1, 2020
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.